The Ace (Stray Kids Kim Seungmin)

31

"I don't know, Kay, it's getting quite late. Don't you think we should head back now?"

With arms full of sticks and logs, Mel glanced at the other ace who carried nothing but a machete. It wasn't the first time she had been tricked into doing most -- if not all -- of the work for the group and even though Seungmin always claimed it was because she was an Ace and had a duty to do, Melody couldn't help but feel used.

"Head back?" The Ace of Diamonds laughed. "Honey, we haven't even gotten started. There's still plenty more we have to do before even considering returning."

Groaning, Mel muttered, "but my arms hurt~. I've been carrying this wood for an hour now and it's so heavy. Could you at least give me a hand? Please?"

"No can do. Trust me, I would carry it if I could but I have a more important job than you. I'm the leader, the shield even. If a jaguar or wolf or bear or whatever appears out of thin air and starts charging towards us, I am the one who is meant to protect the two of us. I need to be alert at all times and cannot afford to let my guard down by carrying those logs."

"Well, how about we swap roles? I can protect us and you can carry these."

Kay raised an eyebrow at her, tittering, "no offense but I don't exactly trust you with my life, little one."

"I'm not little! And why not?"

"Of course you are little. You are like two thirds my height. I can literally see the top of your tiny, chubby-cheek face. And you are like, what, eleven? I wouldn't call that old."

"I'm thirteen," Mel frowned.

"Same thing."

"It's not! There is a two year gap between the two ages. I am two years more mature than an eleven-year-old."

"Mature, you say? Because getting upset that I called you 'little' is so mature, right?"

The younger female huffed, subconsciously pouting and she whispered, "just because I'm young, doesn't mean I won't be able to protect you. I am an Ace after all."

Kayleigh deadpanned, "I am an Ace too, dear, the Ace of Diamonds, remember? That's why I should be the one protecting, not you."

"Because you're the Ace of Diamonds? Are you trying to imply that diamonds are better fighters than hearts?"

"I'm just saying that fighting isn't exactly... your expertise. You're a heart. You excel in healing and stuff, not fighting."

"It isn't your expertise either!"

"Yeah, but diamonds are smart and logical which are helpful skills in fighting."

"Well, hearts have an advanced understanding about how both the human body and the creatures' bodies work. I know where to stab to kill a panther instantly and where to slit to prolong a wolf's death."

"Except you have a warm, fudgy heart. You couldn't even hurt a fly in your dreams. And that's your biggest flaw, Mel."

"I wouldn't consider that a flaw-"

"I would. You are an Ace. You're supposed to be leading your people and telling them what to do and what not to do. But instead, you want to take everyone's ideas into consideration. You want to hear what everyone else has to say and do what they want to do before you make a final decision. You just want everyone to be happy but guess what? You can't please everyone, Melody, and not everyone's going to love you. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better for all of us."

She scoffed, "you think I don't try to be a better Ace? You think I don't want to properly lead my people like you and Seungmin? Do you honestly think I am incapable of killing any creatures by choice? I was born like this! I'm the Ace of Hearts, how do you expect me to be? A demon? I try so hard to just be the Ace everyone expects me to be but I'm not like the rest of you. You are all trained to see the evil in this world, I'm trained to see the good in everything. I just... I wish I could be less empathetic but that's just a part of me. There's nothing I can do about it."

Melody awoke with a groan, quickly noticing the lack of warmth by her side. Loud chatter filled her ears immediately along with laughter, all of which came from her left. Sitting up, she glanced around the part of the forest they were in until her gaze landed on a group encircling a fire a few metres away from her.

A part of her longed to ignore them, lay her head down on the rock again and complete the remainder of her memory but she knew, staring at the group, that wasn't an option. Especially not when her eyes landed on a girl sitting cross-legged on the opposite side of the fire to Mel, the flames illuminating her face. A girl with long, orange hair and a freckled face. Aira.